Envelope-opening machine



/ March 11, 1930. A, WEISS 1,7"5n,338

ENVELOPE OPENING MACHINE Filed Nov. 13, 1928 Patented Mar. 11, 1930tisana ALBERT WEISS,.OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ENvELoPE-PENING MACHINE Application led November 13, 1928. Serial No.319,131.

This invention relates to sealed envelope opening machines and moreparticularly to a novel and improved manually operable device forfacilitatingthe opening of letters i and mail in general.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a machine having asliding carriage Aconstructed and yarranged for cooperation relative toa pair of superposed cutting disks or knives for trimming the edge ormargin of a sealed envelope.

f 'Another object of my invention is to provide a simple machine4 forcutting or trimlming the end or longitudinal edge of a sealed 5llenvelope includinga novel and improved arrangement of cutting disks orknives and gearing manually operable by a sliding carriage on which theenvelope to be opened, is positioned.

5 20- To enable others skilled in the art to more fully comprehend theunderlying features lof my invention `reference is had to theaccompanying drawing forming a part of this 'specification in which Fig.1 is a side view of the machine.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. L1 is a detail of a spring washer cm- 3G ployed.

Referring now to the drawings wherein likereference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, 5, 6 designate theside walls of a substantially rectangular body or support having asuitable base 7. rlhe body or support may preferably be of metal and isadapted to be secured in an immovable position. To reduce the weight ofthe machine, the side walls are preferably cut out as indicated at 8.The walls 5, 6 are connected by a cross webbing 9 thus providing a rigidstructure. The open top of the machine is equipped with a slidingcarriage 10 having side iianges 11 slidable in longitudinal groovesformed on the inner sides of the respective walls 5, 6. The bottom ofthe carriage 10 is equipped with a gear rack 12 fastened thereto byrivets 13. Integral with the side walls 6 is a housing la extendingconsiderably above the top of the body and support to one side thereofas vclearly shown by F ig. 2 of the drawings. The

housing'lt is equipped with a topv and bottom shaft 15, 16 freelyrotatable therein in a manner further to be described. The lower` shaftextends through a bushing or bearing 17 on the side wall 6, and one endcarries fa pinion 18 fastened thereto 'by a'screw 19, said pinionmeshing' with'the gear rack 12. On

the shaft16, and adjacent theside wall, I'pro- A -vide a cutting disk orknife 20 rotatable with the shaft and the pinion 18. On theouter end ofthe shaft 16 is a gear 21 keyed thereto as at 22,` said gear beingengaged by'a split spring washer 23 on the shaft 16.' The upper shaft 15also carries acutting disk or'knife 24 secured thereto by a spring 25,the bottom and top edges of the knives or cutting disks 211, 2Ocooperating to sever or'cut the marginal edge of the paper or envelopeas it is vfed therebetween. The shaft '15 also carries a gear 26 whichmeshes with the gear 21 on the shaft 16, said gear 26 being also inengagement with a split spring washer 23 as abovel described. Thehousing '14 is closed by an outside platep27 fastenedY thereto by screws28. The inner top of the housing 14 `is also provided with aiprot-ectingplate 29 for the top cutting disk.

The sliding carriage 10 is provided with a linger grip 30 adjacent itsouter end whereby -the said carriage may be manipulated back and forthon the support or body. The sliding carriage 1 0 is equipped with adepending lug or extension 31 which is adapted to ens gage a stop 32lthat limits the outer movement of the sliding carriage in onedirection, said lug or extension being also adapted to engage a stop 33fastened to the side wallv 5 vand which stop limits the inward movementof said sliding carriage. The sliding carriage is .under the control ofa resistance spring 34, one end of the spring being connected to a pin35 between the walls of the body or support and the opposite end of thespring 311 is attached to a screw head 36 for instance, under the bottomof the slidingl car-` riage 10.

From the above description, the machine .willbereadily understood. whentakenzinconnection with the accompanying drawing.

The spring 34 normally retains the sliding carriage 10 in itsinoperative position. By

placing a sealed envelope against an angular' 5 side guide 37, as thecarriage is moved by means of finger grip 30, the marginal edge of thesealed envelope is presented to the cutting action of the disks orknives which are rotated by means of the pinion 18 meshing with the gearrack 12. The rotation of the pinion and the shaft 16 carried therebynecessarily rotates the top shaft and its cutting disk through the meshgears 21, 26. Then the sliding carriage has been advanced its 15 fulldistance, the lugs or extension 31 engages the stop 33 in which positionthe spring 34 is expanded. By releasing the grip 30, the slidingcarriage l0 automatically returns to its normal position. The slidingcarriage may be. simply drawn back and forward by one hand and thesealed envelopes fed to the cutting knives by the other hand.

Vhile I have shown and described my invention with some degree ofparticularity, it willbe realized that other modifications and vchangesmay be resorted to under special conditions. I therefore do not wish tobe limited and restricted to the exact details shown and described butreserve the right to make such Ychanges and modifications as may fairlyfall within the scope of the subject matter now beingclaimed.

Having. shown and described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters'Patent is:

.1..,An envelope opening machine comprising a supporting body andhousing` a sliding -carriage on said body, a gear rack carried beneaththe carriage, a shaft having a pinion meshing with the gear rack, asecond shaft 'within the housing, a pair of cooperating cutting disksmounted on the shafts in proximity to the inner edge of the carriage andmeshed gears on said shafts.

2. An envelope opening machine comprising a supporting body and housing,a sliding carriage onsaid body, a finger grip for manipulating saidcarriage, a gear rack fastened to the bottom of the said carriage, ashaft having a pinion meshing with said rack, a second shaft supportedin said housing, meshed gears on the ends of the shafts, and -a pair ofsuperposed cooperating cutting disks on said shafts, the cutting edgesof said fdisks being disposed in proximity to the inner marginal edge ofsaid carriage.

3. A11 envelope opening machine comprisa Supporting body having ahousing at one side thereof, a sliding carriage on said :body having afinger grip for actuating said carriage, means for limiting the movementmisaid carriage, a gear .rack on the bottom of said carriage, a springconnected at one end ,to `the carriage and. at its opposite end to therr'i'-suppnrtingbody, a rotatable shaft havinga pinion meshing with thegear rack, a second shaft passing through the housing, meshed gears onthe ends of the shafts and cooperating rotary cutting disks on the saidshafts in proximity to the inner longitudinal edge of the slidingcarriage for trimming the margin of an envelope positioned on saidcarriage.

4. An envelope opening machine comprising a supporting body having ahousing at one side thereof, a sliding carriage operable on the top ofthe body, stop limiting vmeans for regulating the distance of travel ofthe carriage, resilient means attached to the carriage and said body, agear rack on the bottom of the carriage, a shaft having a pinion meshingwith the gear rack, a second shaft mounted within the housing,cooperating cutting disks mounted on said shafts in proximity to themarginal edge of the carriage for trimming the margin of an envelopeposl- 1 tioned on said carriage and meshed gears on said shafts.

5. An envelope opening machine comprising a supporting body having ahousingat one side thereof, a sliding carriage operable in grooves insaid body, a finger grip for actuating said carriage, a gear rack on thebottom of said carriage, a depending lug extending below the saidcarriage, stops on the supporting body to engage the' said lug to limitthe movement of said carriage, a spring connected at one end to thecarriage andat its opposite end to the supporting body, a rotatableshaft having a pinion meshing with the gear rack, a second shaft passingthrough 10o the housing, meshed gears on the ends ofthe shafts, andcooperating rotarycutting disks on the said shafts in proximity to theinner longitudinal edge of the sliding carriage for trimming'the marginof an envelope posi- 105 tioned on the said carriage.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALBERT WEISS;

